OREM, Utah – Abby Doughty hit a grand slam during a five-run fourth inning as Utah Valley University took the opener of a three-game WAC series, 8-5, over UMKC on Friday afternoon.
 
Down 3-0 in the fourth, Basia Query hit a solo home run with one out in the inning before two base hits, a walk and a strikeout brought Doughty up with two down and the bases full. After working the count full, the left-handed hitting freshman snuck a 3-2 pitch just inside the foul pole down the line in left to give the Wolverines (8-15, 1-3) the lead for good.
 
"I'm so proud of the team because it was definitely a group win," said Doughty, who was named the Wilkinson's Trophy Player of the Game. "Innings where we score a lot of runs are fun for us and we definitely needed that."
 
Devyn Cretz notched the complete-game win for the Wolverines and pitched around four early errors to keep UVU within striking distance. She struck out four while allowing three earned runs to move to 6-7 on the season.
 
Utah Valley tacked on three more runs in the fifth, getting an RBI double from Query to make it 6-3. Query came in to score after an error and Berlyn Carreon drove in the eighth run of the day on a sacrifice fly that plated pinch-runner Kaylee Bott.
 
Kailyn Packard, who came on in relief of starter Mia Hoveland for the Kangaroos (20-13, 1-3) hit a two-run single in the sixth to make it 8-5, but Cretz worked around a one-out single in the seventh to secure the win.
 
Query and Madison Sisco both had two hits for Utah Valley, with Query driving in two runs. Peyton Prigge reached base in each of her three plate appearances, walking three times and also scoring a run.
 
The series concludes on Saturday at 1 p.m. MT with a doubleheader.